Jack Hughes traded to Wild

Fantasy hockey: Hughes leaves New Jersey for Minnesota, where his power-play role is uncertain and his ice time could shrink. Fantasy impact.

By Fantasy Roundup Staff · October 26, 2026 · Updated October 26, 2026

Jack Hughes has been traded from the New Jersey Devils to the Minnesota Wild.

The move threatens Hughes's fantasy value because his power-play role is no longer secure and his ice time could fall from the levels he enjoyed in New Jersey.

Fantasy impact

Player by player

Jack Hughes

Hughes ran the first power-play unit for New Jersey, logging 2:52 of power-play time a night. Minnesota's first unit currently features Maxim Shabanov, Quinn Hughes, Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy, so that job is not guaranteed. His recent New Jersey averages show 1.26 points and 3.9 shots per game over 168 games, with 21:14 of ice time a night. His underlying play grades 97 out of 100 among forwards for shots, scoring chances and ice time, a measure of how sustainable his scoring is.

Minnesota has three games left this week (Sun, Tue, Thu) and four next week. The Wild offer a better schedule than New Jersey's three this week and three next, but the uncertainty around his power-play time and overall minutes makes him a sell-high candidate if you can move him before the role picture clarifies. If he lands on the second unit or sees reduced even-strength ice time, his point production will fall from the 1.26 per game he posted with the Devils.

What to do

• Try to trade Hughes now if you can get value near his New Jersey production, before his Minnesota role becomes clear.

• Monitor Wild lineup reports closely to see whether Hughes cracks the first power-play unit or settles onto the second.

• If Hughes does not secure top power-play minutes in his first few games, consider benching him until his role stabilizes.

Schedule this week